Accenture in Advanced Talks to Acquire Mumbai-based The Womb

Accenture Song, the creative and marketing arm of Accenture, is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire Mumbai-based independent creative agency The Womb, following their recent partnership on Wonder Cement’s creative mandate. While the deal is not yet finalized, industry sources confirm negotiations are progressing and could mark a major consolidation in India’s advertising landscape.

The Womb is a Mumbai-based independent creative agency founded in 2015 by Kawal Shoor and Navin Talreja, recognized for bold, culturally resonant campaigns and ranked the No. 1 Independent Agency in Asia Pacific in WARC 100 (2025).

No official confirmation or announcement has been made by either Accenture or the Womb however.

The Womb's client portfolio include Mahindra Auto, Britannia, Asus, Vini, Piramal Finance, Danone, Sebamed, UpGrad, Symphony, and more. The creative agency's campaigns include Fogg “Kya Chal Raha Hai”, Truecaller “Buri Nazar Wale Tera Call Laal”, Saregama Carvaan (Top 20 Product Innovations of the Year), Mahindra “The SUV”, among others. 

Key Highlights

• Partnership Origin: The Womb was recently brought on board by Accenture Song to handle the creative mandate for Wonder Cement, showcasing strong collaboration potential.
• Acquisition Talks: The reports cited multiple industry executives confirming advanced discussions are underway, though subject to due diligence and commercial negotiations.
• Strategic Fit: Accenture Song aims to integrate its consulting, digital transformation, and customer experience strengths with The Womb’s creative expertise.
• Industry Trend: Reflects a broader shift where consulting firms and global agency networks are acquiring independent creative agencies to deliver integrated marketing solutions.

About The Womb

• Founded by: Kawal Shoor and Navin Talreja
• Headquarters: Mumbai, India
• Reputation: One of India’s fastest-growing independent creative agencies, known for strategic brand-building and integrated campaigns across consumer goods, retail, tech, and financial services.

Strategic Implications

Accenture Song	The Womb	Impact
Global consulting & digital transformation leader	Independent creative powerhouse	Strengthens creative depth in India
Focus on integrated marketing (creativity + commerce + tech)	Known for bold, culturally resonant campaigns	Enhances end-to-end marketing solutions
Recent acquisitions (e.g., Whalar in creator economy)	Wonder Cement creative mandate	Expands portfolio in India’s advertising sector

Risks & Considerations

• Due diligence pending: Talks are advanced but not finalized; regulatory and commercial hurdles may delay or block the deal.
• Cultural integration: Merging a nimble independent agency with a global consulting giant could challenge creative autonomy.
• Market consolidation: Smaller independent agencies may face reduced bargaining power as global firms expand aggressively.

Outlook

• Cement Accenture Song’s position as a top creative-consulting hybrid in India.
• Provide The Womb with global scale and resources, while potentially reshaping India’s advertising ecosystem.
• Signal continued consolidation in the Indian ad industry, aligning with Accenture’s global strategy of expanding creativity, commerce, and content capabilities.

The Womb’s rise reflects the strength of India’s independent creative scene, proving that agencies rooted in problem-solving, empathy, and imagination can compete globally. Its potential acquisition by Accenture Song underscores the growing trend of consulting giants absorbing creative independents to deliver integrated marketing solutions.

Why Visibility Matters: What I’ve Learned About the Power of Building a Personal Brand

Some of the most talented people I know don’t always get the recognition they deserve. They show up, work hard, and deliver consistently—but often remain under the radar. On the other hand, there are people who seem to grow quickly in their careers or businesses, and it looks like it happened overnight.

I used to wonder why. And while I’m still learning every day, one thing has become increasingly clear: visibility makes a big difference.

Visibility isn’t about being loud.

In today’s digital world, visibility isn’t about chasing likes or trying to be everywhere. It’s about showing up intentionally—sharing who you are, what you care about, and the work you’re doing. That’s where building a personal brand comes in.

So, what is a personal brand?

At its core, a personal brand is simply your reputation—both online and offline. It’s how people remember you after a conversation, a meeting, a LinkedIn post. It reflects your values, your voice, your energy.

And if you’re being honest and consistent, it’s less about "building" something new and more about revealing what’s already true about you.

Why visibility matters now, more than ever

1. You get noticed when you're seen

It might sound simple, but it’s true—people can’t support or connect with you if they don’t know you exist. Whether you’re job hunting, fundraising, or just trying to grow, visibility makes room for opportunities to come your way.

2. It builds trust over time

We tend to trust people we see and hear from regularly. When you show up authentically, even in small ways, people start to recognise your voice. Over time, that builds trust—without ever needing to say “trust me.”

3. Leadership isn’t just about a title

Influence today is less about seniority and more about contribution. People follow those who share generously, uplift others, and lead with humility. Visibility allows you to lead from wherever you are—not just from a certain position.

4. You get to shape your own story

If you’re not telling your story, someone else might fill in the blanks. Being visible helps you own your narrative—your values, your work, your journey—in your own words.

5. It helps you stand out, without having to compete

There are lots of skilled people in every field. What helps you stand out isn’t just what you can do, but who you are and how you do it. Your story, your lens, your presence—that’s what makes you different.

How I’ve started (and how you can too)

I’ll be honest—“building a personal brand” used to sound a bit awkward to me. But I’ve realised it doesn’t have to be performative. It can be honest. It can be quiet. It can feel like you. Here’s what’s helped me so far:

1. Getting clear on what matters to me

I’ve been asking myself: What do I care about? What kind of conversations light me up? I don’t have all the answers, but even small clarity helps shape what I choose to share.

2. Choosing platforms that feel right

For me, it’s mostly LinkedIn and conversations at events. I’m not trying to be everywhere—I’m just trying to show up consistently in the places that feel natural.

3. Being real, not just impressive

It’s easy to share wins, but I’ve found that people resonate more when you talk about lessons, challenges, and the messy parts too. I try to be open about what I’m learning—not just what I’ve “figured out.”

4. Celebrating others

Some of the best connections I’ve made have come from cheering someone else on. Visibility grows when you uplift others, not just when you talk about yourself.

5. Letting things evolve

My interests, focus, and voice have shifted over the years—and that’s okay. A personal brand isn’t fixed. It grows with you.

Here’s the part no one tells you: visibility isn’t about always being in the spotlight. Sometimes, it’s just about making sure you’re in the room. It’s about owning your space, your story—even if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first.

I’m still figuring it out, and maybe you are too. But if you’ve been waiting to feel “ready” or hoping someone will notice you—this might be your nudge. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be present.

Because in a noisy world, a real voice—yours—is exactly what someone’s waiting to hear.

F&B MNC Mondelēz Collab with Accenture and Publicis Groupe to Boost Its Marketing Capabilities Using Generative AI

Mondelēz International has announced a collaboration with Accenture and Publicis Groupe to enhance its marketing capabilities using artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI. With this collaboration, Mondelēz has launched new platform that aims to improve the creation of personalized content, such as text, images, and videos, allowing Mondelēz to stay ahead of changing consumer preferences.

Mondelēz International, Inc. is a leading American multinational company specializing in confectionery, food, and beverages.

Accenture will help scale and activate the platform through employee training and adoption strategies, while Publicis Groupe will lead the execution and build the AI foundation. Publicis Groupe will be responsible for leading execution and building the gen AI foundation that will power creative assets. Both organizations will work closely with Mondelēz marketing teams to realize the vision of redefining consumer goods marketing.

Mondelēz International, Inc. is a leading American multinational company specializing in confectionery, food, and beverages.

This initiative is expected to drive innovation, gather market insights, and facilitate higher degrees of personalization at every consumer touchpoint.

By leveraging AI and generative AI, Mondelēz can create highly personalized content tailored to individual consumer preferences. This means more relevant and engaging advertisements, promotions, and communications.

AI can automate many aspects of content creation and distribution, reducing the time and resources needed for marketing campaigns. This allows the company to respond more quickly to market to

The AI platform will provide deeper insights into consumer behavior and preferences, enabling Mondelēz to make data-driven decisions. This can lead to more effective marketing strategies and better-targeted campaigns.

With Accenture and Publicis Groupe’s expertise, Mondelēz can stay at the forefront of marketing innovation. This collaboration will help the company experiment with new formats and channels, ensuring they remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Mondelēz operates in approximately 160 countries worldwide. The company was originally part of Kraft Foods Inc. but was rebranded as Mondelēz International in 2012 when Kraft Foods split into two separate entities.

Mondelēz’s product portfolio includes well-known brands such as Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone, and Ritz. The company focuses on creating delicious snacks and beverages, aiming to bring joy to consumers around the globe.

Accenture and Adobe to Co-Develop Industry-Specific Generative AI Solutions

Accenture and Adobe have announced collaboration to co-develop industry-specific generative AI solutions aimed at accelerating marketing transformation. This strategic expansion of their over 20-year relationship will leverage Adobe Firefly, Adobe’s family of creative generative AI models, to help organizations create personalized content at scale.

The partnership will focus on integrating Adobe Firefly Custom Models into Accenture Song's marketing services, providing clients with the necessary insights to train bespoke models on their proprietary data and brand guidelines. The solutions will initially target the retail and consumer goods, automotive, financial services, and health industries, aiming to streamline the content creation process and reduce manual adjustments.

David Droga, CEO of Accenture Song, highlighted the increasing demand for scalable generative AI solutions and the potential for these technologies to democratize creative asset development and accelerate content supply chain transformation.

 

With an initial focus on the retail and consumer goods, automotive, financial services and health industries, the new solutions will leverage Accenture’s extensive data and AI engineering capabilities and systematic approach to responsible AI, coupled with its approach to driving unified brand experiences. By integrating the solutions with Adobe’s broader suite of generative AI-powered solutions and client systems, organizations can realize value faster with content that is globally consistent, locally relevant and industry specific. Additionally, Accenture engineers will be trained to be specialists in Adobe Firefly, allowing them to provide support for clients deploying generative AI campaigns.

"Brands today are looking for ways to go beyond experimenting with generative AI to achieve real impact,” said David Droga, chief executive officer, Accenture Song. “Whether it’s consumer goods companies scaling their product data and images in e-marketplaces worldwide, or healthcare providers ensuring brand standards for patient safety, the demand for scalable generative AI solutions is increasing. By bringing together Adobe technology with Accenture Song’s tech-powered creativity, we can help democratize the ability for teams to develop creative assets and accelerate content supply chain transformation.”

According to Accenture research, business leaders are positive about the potential of generative AI—97% expect generative AI to be transformative for their company and their industry, yet only 31% of organizations say they have started investing “significantly” in generative AI initiatives. Accenture is committed to providing solutions for clients that help them navigate the reinvention of work, transformation of their organization and responsible adoption of AI.

"Businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to leverage generative AI to deliver truly personalized experiences that connect with their customers,” said David Wadhwani, president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. "Firefly is an enterprise grade solution that powers a full suite of generative capabilities - from content generation to editing to assembly - through our industry-leading applications and enterprise automation APIs. We are excited to partner with Accenture to define and implement solutions that empower organizations around the world to harness the power of AI."

By generating content that aligns with brand style and design language, marketers can build templatized campaigns that can be refined based on performance data, streamlining the content creation process and reducing manual adjustments. Accenture engineers will also be trained as specialists in Adobe Firefly to support clients deploying generative AI campaigns.

Majority (53%) of Companies Planning to Provide GenAI Training for Their Marketing Teams in the Next 6 Mths – Capgemini Report

The majority of marketers (62%) believe that generative AI will augment human creativity, enhancing unique human qualities such as intuition, emotion, and context understanding. Organizations already investing in generative AI for marketing dedicate 62% of their total marketing technology budget towards it, seeing this breakthrough technology as a catalyst for creativity and innovation in marketing. That’s according to Capgemini Research Institute’s latest report ‘Generative AI and the evolving role of marketing: A CMO’s Playbook’, which reveals that half of organizations have already set aside specific budgets and almost half (47%) have allocated teams for the implementation of generative AI in marketing.

The report found that 57% of marketers expect generative AI to act as a catalyst for unlocking new creative possibilities, particularly when collaborating between human and AI-driven innovation; 55% foresee this motivating teams to think beyond conventional boundaries. In the next two to three years, marketers already using generative AI expect it will be applied across data analysis (90%), search engine optimization (89%), customer services (89%), content creation (88%) and image and video generation (86%). As a result, marketing functions are actively establishing practices to use generative AI across marketing domains.

According to the research, organizations believe that this technology can help in building a unique brand image (67%), accurate analysis of customer and market trends (65%), reduction in marketing costs (66%), and increase efficiency in generating content and results (65%).

Gagandeep Gadri, Managing Director of frog, part of Capgemini Invent, said, “The future of marketing will undeniably be influenced by the widespread adoption of generative AI to deliver personalized content and communication; it’s value realization will need a fusion of strategic choices, human centered creativity and a good understanding of the art of the possible in a very fast-moving space. In many ways this feels like the Digital boom from 20 years ago, where the brands that succeeded were those that stayed true to their values but were brave and bold on how digital could deliver growth for their business. The same will apply for generative AI.”

Addressing ethical and regulatory issues will be key

As AI algorithms become increasingly sophisticated, marketers will continue to face complex ethical considerations around issues such as the responsible use of customer data, the transparency of AI-driven decision-making processes, and ensuring algorithms do not reinforce social inequalities.

The research indicates that only 30% of organizations have implemented clear guidelines for the use and oversight of AI systems and less than half consider attributes of trust, privacy, and responsibility when selecting AI systems for marketing activities. Less than half of organizations (42%) are implementing measures to protect themselves from challenges related to the use of generative AI in marketing, such as monitoring or searching for AI-derived versions of their work, including logos and artwork.

Bridging the generative AI skills gap

According to the report, the majority of organizations (71%) anticipate that certain marketing roles will be significantly or moderately impacted by generative AI including SEO specialists, digital marketing and creative directors, PR/communication specialists, copywriters, and customer insight specialists.

The majority (63%) of organizations recognize that the demand for generative AI skills in marketing significantly outstrips supply. To address this skills gap and harness the full potential of generative AI in marketing, organizations are implementing internal and external strategies. On average, 53% of companies are planning to provide generative AI training for their marketing teams in the next six months, with companies in the Netherlands, India, Australia, and the US most likely to implement this initiative. Sectors such as media, insurance, automotive, and life sciences also show higher-than-average commitment to generative AI training for their marketing teams.

Marketing is emerging as a strategic force to drive organizational success

The research shows that marketing has transformed in recent years, with Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) increasingly playing a central role in strategic decision-making processes. In business-to-consumer (B2C) sectors, 71% of C-suite respondents see marketing as a strategic partner in driving business growth and 72% of B2C organizations involve the CMO in critical decisions to drive business goals and objectives. CMOs have assumed greater direct responsibility for contribution to revenue growth (49%) and profit-related decisions (44%) over the past two years, increasing by 25 and 19 percentage points from 2021 respectively.

Almost 60% of organizations are integrating generative AI into their marketing efforts, out of which 37% are actively implementing it across various initiatives, while an additional 21% are in the experimental phase. In order to succeed, organizations are adopting diverse AI strategies tailored to their specific marketing needs and available resources. Nearly a quarter of organizations rely solely on external applications and platforms for generative AI in marketing, however, half of them are in the process of either developing or using in-house applications alongside external tools.

Infographic

Methodology

The Capgemini Research Institute surveyed 1,800 executives overseeing marketing strategies across diverse organizations worldwide with an annual revenue of over USD 1 billion. The organizations came from a range of sectors, including automotive, banking, consumer goods, insurance, retail, telecom, utilities, high-tech, manufacturing, life sciences, public sector and media. They are based in 14 countries across North America, Europe, and APAC. In addition, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with Chief Marketing Officers and marketing leaders with firsthand knowledge or awareness of their organizations generative AI initiatives. Charts comparing 2021 and 2023 data exclude respondents from B2B sectors, as they were not part of the 2021 survey. The covered sectors include automotive, banking, consumer goods, insurance, retail, telecom, and utilities.

Revealing the Final List of YouTube Panel 2023

YouTube is the second largest search engine. This makes it a hit among the companies. Every business owner focuses on being visible on YouTube as well as Google. Yet, this is not a piece of cake. It might be possible with a lot of effort, or a YouTube panel.

In this blog post, you will find a list of YouTube panels. You can choose the right one for your YouTube channel and start boosting it.

What is YouTube Panel?

It is a social media marketing service that especially focuses on YouTube. You may be wondering what SMM panels do. They provide its customers with YouTube growth via services such as subscribers, likes, and views.

You can buy views or whatever you need to grow your YouTube presence. These services can assist in increasing your audience size, traffic to your channel, and engagement within your social networks. Here is the list of five SMM panels that will make you the most of YouTube.

JustAnotherPanel - Rising Star of Social Media Services

Choosing the best SMM panel for your YouTube channels can be difficult. Luckily, there is JustAnotherPanel - it's the best SMM panel out there. Let's take a look at its features to understand why it is the best among YouTube panels.

For starters, JustAnotherPanel is one of the cheapest SMM panels. To grow your social media presence on YouTube, you need views, subscribers, and likes. Its service quality is unquestionable. It offers services from high retention YouTube views to subscribers. All you need to do is choose one and start your YouTube journey.

While purchasing YouTube services, the last thing you should worry about is the security of your payment. The platform processes all payments and ensures that all transaction information remains confidential. This offers an additional layer of protection for customers.

It is the most trustworthy SMM panel. JustAnotherPanel cares nothing but your safety. This SMM panel provides users with the ability to remain anonymous while making internet purchases. Users are not required to provide any personal data, including names or addresses when buying.

The feature that will make your YouTube video stand out from the competition is not video length, but its rapid growth. Your orders from JustAnotherPanel will be delivered in minutes. Also, it allows you to monitor the progress of YouTube campaigns in real time, eliminating the need to wait days or weeks for results.

JustAnotherPanel offers high-quality services for its clients. When you buy SMM services, your audience will be segmented based on gender, geographical location, and other relevant demographics. This way you will be able to engage with your target audience and gain organic views. So, you do not violate YouTube's Terms and Services under no circumstances.

Most people worry about not being able to solve their problems on the YouTube views panel. However, thanks to JustAnotherPanel's customer support team, all your problems will be resolved during and after the purchase. These are the key reasons why JAP is one of the leading SMM panels available in the market today.

RunLikes - Best Choice for Social Media Marketers

RunLikes is the cheapest SMM panel where you can buy YouTube views. You will never observe a drop in your view count since they are only selling high-retention views.

If you are worried about buying services from an unknown SMM panel, you should not. Since the friendly dashboard of RunLikes eases buying experience, you will never be lost. On the contrary, you will see your options and make an excellent choice for your YouTube growth.

The more views you have, the fast your YouTube channel will grow. However, how can you be sure that you will get fast views? Thanks to RunLikes, you will get your order in just a few minutes. It offers super fast delivery, top of the industry!

RunLikes' dedicated customer service team consists of highly knowledgeable professionals. They are 24/7 available to assist you in case of any problems. Sometimes problems can be encountered as growth in YouTube is a long journey. However, don't let that deter you. The quality services of RunLikes will ensure your success eventually.

BulqFollowers

This SMM panel is an automated social media marketing provider that will help you monetize and promote your YouTube account. You will be able to generate revenue without having to dedicate any time or effort to target the appropriate audience.

It provides services for those interested in broadening their reach not only on YouTube but also across various social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. For example, you can buy YouTube subscribers, YouTube likes, views, and YouTube watch time to attract people to your videos.

This site offers organic services to clients. You can buy subscribers, and they are not restricted to traditional clients.
Instant Fans

This SMM panel helps you increase your social media reach, via more likes, comments, followers, and views. It works not only on a particular social media platform but also on all popular ones, including YouTube, Twitter, and newer platforms.

You don’t need to learn how to use their packages. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, it is an easy-to-use SMM panel.

This website offers a variety of packages. Custom packages are available allowing you to choose among services to prevent overspending. Additionally, its customers have access to email support for minor problems or delays. It also offers the ability to watch their YouTube followers grow overnight. Eventually, they help you convert your potential customers into your target audience.

SMM Rush

This SMM panel offers marketing solutions that provide businesses with a social media strategy to help them develop their brands through its SMM panel.

For clients, SMM panels offer a mass order option, which has been beneficial to many users in the past achieving YouTube growth and will continue to assist them in pushing their boundaries in the future. Other users can try to create their reseller panel so that they might sell their own YouTube services.

Furthermore, none of the data used while registering with this site is shared with any other websites.

6 Reasons Why Video Marketing is Important for Your Business

Video content has become very popular in the past couple of years. In fact, research by Wyzowl shows that 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. While we definitely have social media to thank for that, other forms of video marketing like explainer and testimonial videos are also very popular and useful.

Now, if you want to find out why that’s the case, keep on reading and see the top 6 reasons video marketing is important for your business.

1. Videos can educate users about your product.

The first step to convincing people they should purchase your product is educating them about it. Now, there are a couple of ways you can do that. For instance, you could write a blog about the product and how it’s used. But, it’s still way easier to explain it through video content and people love it!

According to Wyzowl, 88% of people admit they were convinced to buy a product after watching a video about it. Furthermore, videos are not only great at convincing people to make a purchasing decision but they’re also a way for people to learn about a product.

So, booking a call with one of the best video production companies in Oklahoma may not be a bad idea if you want a professionally filmed explainer video.

2. They have a great ROI.

Some people believe that producing video content is too expensive. All that equipment and time necessary to create content doesn’t come for free, right?

Well, we have some good news for you – you don’t need to have all of that to create video content. Phone cameras nowadays have become so good that creators on Instagram and TikTok only use their phones to film and edit videos.

Having all that in mind, video content can actually increase your ROI. Wyzowl reports that 87% of marketers said video has helped them with increasing ROI.

3. Everyone, especially mobile users love them.

It goes without saying that most of the younger world’s population uses some form of social media, whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or some other platform. Many of these apps have tapped into the potential of video content, especially short-form videos.

Just look at TikTok and Instagram – users are more interested in watching these videos than scrolling through photos and reading long-form written content. Some even claim that Gen Z will rather use TikTok as a search engine than Google. And it’s not just Gen Z, but Millennials too love to scroll through Instagram reels.

As these apps are primarily used on mobile phones, we advise you to explore these social media platforms and leverage them.

4. They are versatile.

You could probably already see it from the previous tip but video content is no longer limited to YouTube. We also have Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok now and these apps allow you to create and publish different kinds of video content.

For instance, TikTok is known for its short-form videos that are often funny and light. Instagram also has a version of this called Reels which got featured after they realized TikTok has been hitting off. But, Instagram also features Stories that allow you to bond with your audience through video content featuring everyday activities.

At last, you can also include video content outside of these social media platforms by organizing webinars that educate your audience about a certain topic.

5. Videos encourage social shares.

People love to share the content they like. Just think about it: how many Reels, TikTok or YouTube videos have you shared with your friends in the last week or so? This is exactly how videos blow up overnight and suddenly go viral.

Now, not every piece of content will thrive like this, but you should definitely try it out. Here are some of our tips that will increase your chances of going viral:

• Keep up with the latest trends but be quick – they only stick around for a few days.
• Use trending hashtags. To find them, enter a keyword in the search bar and tap on the “hashtag” column. You’ll see a list of trending hashtags and the number of views that videos with these hashtags have received.
• TikTok videos that go viral are often based on trending audio. Oftentimes, you won’t even need special skills to film and edit a video if you have the right audio.

6. They help you improve your ranking.

Uploading your videos on YouTube can help you improve your Google ranking because Google takes into account videos with relevant content and publishes them at the top of the search engine results page.

This is especially a good idea for “how to” videos as this content format provides people with easy-to-understand explanations that are sometimes difficult to cater to through written content.

To sum up

Video marketing is one of the best ways to bond with your audience and showcase your brand, especially using social media and no one can deny that. All you need to do now is film a great video, optimize it, and you’re good to go!

WhatsApp To Take Center Stage As Primary Marketing Channel - Haptik’s The State of WhatsApp Marketing 2023 Report

As brands map out their marketing plans and customer engagement strategies for the new year, Jio Haptik Technologies Limited, the world’s largest WhatsApp chatbot solution provider, has compiled an in-depth report titled ‘The State of WhatsApp Marketing 2023’ that speaks to marketers about WhatsApp as a growth channel, trends that will shape marketing in the new year, best practices for WhatsApp business messaging, and more. The downloadable report was released at the Company’s quarterly product event, Hype, held virtually, on Wednesday.

Aakrit Vaish, CEO & Co-founder, Haptik, said: “With a reach of over 2 billion users across 180 countries, WhatsApp has emerged as a powerful marketing channel for brands to connect and engage with prospects across the globe. ‘The State of WhatsApp Marketing 2023’ is Haptik’s special initiative covering all the aspects essential to marketers about WhatsApp as a marketing channel. It covers trends, strategies and best practices to help Marketing, CX, and Growth leaders in the new year. The report includes case studies of prominent consumer brands that have leveraged WhatsApp to boost customer engagement, unlock higher revenue potential and foster brand loyalty.”

A timeline of the evolution of WhatsApp as a business platform is featured in ‘The State of WhatsApp Marketing 2023’, highlighting the new features and innovations on WhatsApp in the last couple of years that make it a powerful channel for marketers to drive end-to-end customer engagement.

Marketers and Growth leaders focus on generating high-quality leads, driving quick purchases, and ensuring their valuable customers are retained, and that they are engaged at every stage of their lifecycle. The report offers a data-backed narrative along with case studies and success stories of consumer brands that have accomplished key business metrics by using WhatsApp as their primary marketing and growth channel.

With personalization being an intrinsic part of customer experience and the growing need for brands to proactively engage with customers, the report discusses the solutions and tools that brands can leverage for customer engagement both within and outside WhatsApp.

Industry-specific use cases and dos and don’ts of WhatsApp business messaging are the other highlights that make the report an essential read as the messaging app indeed promises to be a key part of brands’ marketing strategy in 2023.

How to Use Metaverse for Marketing and Make Money

The recent COVID-19 pandemic saw the global digital dependency rise to unprecedented heights, thereby fundamentally changing consumer behavior. This means a more significant percentage of consumers started working, learning, playing, and shopping online.

The metaverse is a virtual place that is real-time, realistic, and – in many circumstances – interconnected, where one can undertake any real-world activity virtually in a 3D space. When you think about it, the potential for monetization of such a world is unlimited.

It's a hybrid of augmented reality, virtual reality, and blockchain technology. Users can take advantage of ultra-fast bandwidth, the internet, and virtual reality headsets.

The metaverse activities are genuinely incredible, from working in virtual offices to relaxing in the blockchain-based game and managing their crypto funds and portfolio.

Future Impact Of the Metaverse on Marketing

The rise of the metaverse is sure to lead to the creation of new marketing techniques and opportunities to explore the 3D virtual world. The Metaverse is a nexus of markets, decentralized government, digital identities, and other elements.

Companies can use Metaverse to attract new audiences, boost consumer confidence, and investigate a potential revenue stream. For example, Roboblox boasts 200 million active players who spent $319 million on in-game cash in the first half of 2020.

The sky's the limit for savvy marketers on the block as big brands like Nike, Facebook, and Gucci continue to position themselves into the present Metaverse, employing gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roboblox to produce immersive forms of advertising and new forms of viral brand awareness. So, how do you make money?

You can make money in the metaverse in many ways, such as:

Gaming

The Metaverse creation has seen the rise of a category of games known as play to earn that enables users to play games and get rewarded with crypto. The rise of this category has been remarkable and is expected to become as popular, if not more popular, than traditional gaming.

Virtual Shopping

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the meteoric rise of online shopping, with more and more consumers preferring to shop online. With the metaverse, businesses can immerse themself in the virtual world to make shopping more accessible and interactive for their consumers. Companies can sell items like NFTs (for digital art) and wearables(for avatars).

VR Games

Companies like Fortnite quickly jumped on the metaverse train to bring their players VR games. And they have never regretted it. So creating and monetizing VR games is one of the best ways to make money in the metaverse.

Live Events

The recent pandemic made it very difficult to host live physical events. Still, with metaverse, artists and companies can host massive audiences in the virtual world, while event organizers can sell tickets for the event.

Art Creation

The rise of NFTs has made it very easy for artists (primarily digital artists) to make money from their art. The increase of NFTs has been nothing but meteoric, with companies also joining the fray and creating digital collectibles for their consumers.

Companies and individuals can also open art galleries to display their art in the metaverse.

Real Estate in the Metaverse

Like the real world, the metaverse allows users to buy and sell properties, opening up a new frontier for real estate in the 3D space.

Design and Architecture

Even architects are not left behind in this amazing opportunity. Architects and designers can create and design 3D structures for users in the metaverse and get paid.

Incorporating Real Life Marketing with your Metaverse Marketing

One of the best ways to take advantage of the metaverse is to incorporate your virtual marketing with your real-life marketing. This means you can replicate what you offer in the real world in the metaverse. The same has proven to be an authentic way to further interact with your consumers.

Author

This content is an authored work by Abhishek Singh Rajpurohit, the Co-Founder & CMO of a Web 3.0 startup called Acknoledger which is a Global Consortium that maps, monetizes, and distributes Web 3.0 Digital Assets Seamlessly across all the Metaverses and Gaming NFTs. Launched product in October 2021 and raised a funding of around 4.2 million and are a publicly-traded cryptocurrency.

Currently, he is working on a new start which is an amalgamation of gaming and blockchain and will be launched in the summer of 2022.He is an MBA graduate from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, He has authored a book on online reputation Management “ Protect your online identity like your virginity” and he is quite vocal about the darker side of the digital age. Also featured on TED talks MUMBAI.

Investment Platform Upstox Launches 'Own Your Future' Campaign to Drive Equity Participation in India

The leading broking firm encourages investment in equities through a multimedia marketing campaign

Upstox aims to grow 3X by end of FY23

Upstox (also known as RKSV Securities India Pvt. Ltd.), one of India’s largest investment platforms, today launched its Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign, ‘Own Your Future’. The goal of the campaign is to promote financial inclusion in the country by encouraging young Indians to participate in the equity market, invest wisely, own assets that will grow over time and help them take control of their future.

The goal of any company and its management is to increase shareholder value. The campaign includes a series of lighthearted videos elaborating how one can “Make your favourite companies work for you” by buying their stocks, becoming a shareholder in them, and thus having the company and its management work to improve your returns!

The first two videos of the series were released along with the launch of Tata IPL 2022. One of the videos shows a reunion of three friends where they discuss their career developments. Another video in the series captures a meetup between two friends at a cafe to discuss a friend’s promotion.

Kavitha Subramanian, Co-founder, Upstox

 
Kavitha Subramanian, Co-Founder, Upstox said, “The campaign ‘Own Your Future’ intends to encourage more Indians to participate in the equity market and make the right investment choices through Upstox. Young Indians today understand the value of owning assets and building a portfolio, via owning shares in companies. There’s a huge rise in startup culture and they understand that even if everyone cannot be an entrepreneur, you can still own a share of a company, and participate in its long term upside.



Just like IPL has redefined cricket, Upstox aims to redefine investments for its customers. We have grown 3X year-on-year and expect a similar growth trajectory this year as well. We are positive that this campaign will help drive a culture of equity investment in India, as well as encourage more Indians to take charge of their financial future.”

The multimedia marketing campaign includes commercials on television, digital, and social media platforms. While digital has been employed to reach out to the target segments in metros and big cities, television will be dominating the media mix for Tier-2 and Tier 3 cities.

Upstox is the first broking firm that has partnered with IPL ever since the cricket league was launched in 2008. The company currently has over 9 million customers and aims to reach users living in remote corners of the country. The Upstox platform’s user-friendly interface makes investing simple and their educational content further empowers users to make informed investment decisions. Powered by advanced technology, Upstox enables customers to gather an astute understanding of the financial market and assists them in taking control of their investments.

Top 10 Cryptocurrency Marketing Strategies

Cryptocurrency marketing is just as important as any other industry. It is essential to business growth and success. Blockchain has evolved from a pure fintech industry to a industry that supports everything from supply chain management to content publishing. Thousands of crypto companies have appeared everywhere these days. Starting a company's basic marketing project is different, but when it comes to crypto marketing projects, executives need to consider hiring a crypto marketing agency and a few other factors. This article describes the top 10 cryptocurrency marketing strategies that drive business growth.

1. Using Social Media

Social media is one of the most important marketing tools of our time. Indeed, it's also important for crypto marketing. Marketing teams use these platforms to connect to the global crypto community and spotlight projects. In addition to traditional social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram, businesses can also use BTT and Steemit to increase their presence.

2. Press Releases

A good press release on cryptocurrencies requires extra effort on the part of the team, but use popular news and PR services to enhance news about upcoming tokens and projects. Is always recommended. There are several online press release websites, including those dedicated to crypto PR that enable breaking news about crypto coins.

3. Paid Ads

Paid ads are like pay-per-click ads that can get a lot of attention outside the crypto community. Search engines are the most popular choice for this type of advertising. Little research and identification of appropriate keywords are required to associate with the project. Facebook, Reddit, and Google are known for such services.

4. Use of airdrops

Airdrops were once very popular. It can be distributed free of charge to those who have registered the token. By distributing the token widely, you can reach more users. AirDrop is a pure cryptocurrency promotion stunt and an easy way to get followers and users. It also helps bring new members to your crypto community whether that is Telegram or Discord.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing and databases are powerful because they help businesses personally reach their audience and increase sales. This is a form of direct marketing that sends targeted emails to specific people who are existing consumers or potential customers for recent project launches, encryption features, or token launches. is. Airdrops and other updates regarding coins can also be delivered via email marketing.

6. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is the latest method that is becoming more and more popular, especially in the crypto marketing sector. This technique can give a significant reach to the community through individuals or groups with millions of followers on social networking sites.

7. Use Referral Program

Referral programs have the highest retention and conversion rates of any marketing channel. It's as easy as the fact that the audience trusts the product only if a friend uses it. To encourage this word-of-mouth marketing, companies reward their loyal customer base. After that, they advertise to get more offers, and newcomers also get a variety of exciting offers.

8. Website Design

One of the most important things to do before launching crypto coins is to develop and maintain your company's website. Choosing a compelling web design and creating an online platform for potential investors is essential. It also gives companies the opportunity to explain to their target audience why they should invest in coins and what their goals are.

9. Direct Messaging

This is another efficient way to notify you about future updates or releases. The audience can ignore the email marketing message even after reading it. Therefore, by sending a message directly, you can get their attention to get more replies.

10. Affiliate Marketing

The only difference between affiliate marketing and influencer marketing is that anyone in the brand can do it, not social media influencers. It works by distributing the responsibility for marketing and creating products to different parties such as sellers, buyers, and affiliates.

Create An Ad for Your Local Store with Shah Rukh Khan Using Cadbury's AI-powered Website

This Diwali, Cadbury is letting customers promote their local stores in Cadbury Celebrations ad by creating an advertisement for their local stores for free with Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in it. 

Using a dedicated AI-powered website 'notjustacadburyad.com', Cadbury allows you to recreate the the  face of superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his voice to take the local store’s name in the ad. The company is said to be using machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the website.

Available in both Hindi & English, the website notes that the Cadbury has partnered with Rephrase.ai, A Bangalore-based company that builds generative AI tools to ease video creation. Rephrase.ai says it is different from deepfakes as it creates “real videos from scratch."

With notjustacadburyad.com, Rephrase.ai has employed its AI tools to create a digital avatar of Shah Rukh Khan who gave a hyper personalized reminder to people to buy from the local shops calling out each store’s name. Enabling local shops to promote themselves.

8 Marketing Tips for You to Take Your Coworking Business Up a Notch

In today’s technologically advanced world where startups, freelancers, remote worker demographics are seen to experience a great leap, there is no doubt that it’ll bring in a plethora of opportunities for coworking spaces. With the Covid-19 pandemic and work from home adaptation, the popularity of coworking spaces is already on a rise. The remote work culture can be the finest chance for coworking businesses to make the most out of it.

If you own a coworking business, now is the time to re-strategize your marketing and take it to a notch. In the age of e-commuting, startup and freelancer economy, coworking spaces offer a great escape along with a community of like-minded people that can help them with networking and their personal growth.

The best part about a coworking space is it offers a dedicated workspace that is less expensive than the traditional office space within an added advantage of the community. Coworking spaces also let businesses a place to get away from distractions at home along with a professional setting for clients.

All these things seem great but how does a coworking space help in monetization? How do coworking spaces get members to fill up the chairs? Well, the right marketing and advertising strategy can be the best way to achieve the goals of the business.

Here are a few tips that can help you take your co-working business up a notch:

#1 A Quality Website

A website is the virtual representation of your brand. Let us begin with the very basics. A well-designed, professionally built website with clearly stated rates and the mission of the coworking space is all you might need. You must not be the one to ignore the standard when it comes to the website.

Keep all your contact information visible including updates such as newsletters, blog posts related to the niche of your members. Also, ensure that the posts have the potential to get a good ranking on Google SERP. Make use of ad platforms to advertise the coworking space on other websites to bring in traffic including an easy way for the interested members to sign up on the web page.

Your website is the basic requirement and should reflect your message well. Make sure that the first impression of your co-working space is enough for your potential customers to raise a query or sign up with your business. Remember, first impressions are everything!

#2 Membership Benefits

Your co-working space can receive a better response if there are some additional benefits such as incentives or sign-up perks for them.

Offer discounts during your anniversary, create a member referral program, encourage them to sign up with a yearly membership discount offer etcetera.

According to Benjamin’s Desk, 20% of their inquiries come from referrals.

Under a referral program, you can offer a discounted rent or membership fees when a member brings in a successful referral.

Later on, once or twice a month, let members and also non-members visit your workspace and work there for free. Also, keep the days limited in order to continue to let the profit come in from the new members and the old ones. You can also offer ‘happy hour’, not like free wine or food, but you can offer local coffee. This can be a prevalent coworking marketing strategy as local people will surely visit.

One more way can be to offer a bartering system wherein, waive rent or membership fee in return for using the member’s talents. For instance, if you have a content writer as your member, get him to help you with website content or creatives for your social media to help market your coworking space.

When you have a huge number of freelancers, you can offer 24*7 opening hours to them. They have an odd working schedule, so they will prefer your space if there aren’t restrictions by operating hours.

#3 Strong Social Media Strategy

Social media is one of the strongest marketing platforms. Nowadays, it is a very effective way to market your business to the target audience. Use Twitter to follow your members and the potential members. Engage in Twitter chats with different niches to build networks and professionalism.

Make use of Facebook Ads to advertise it on your Facebook and ensure that you have a dedicated page for your co-working space. A large number of businesses get traffic and members from the Facebook newsfeed, so take maximum advantage of it. Focus your ads on local areas, as they will be the target audience.

Utilize Instagram to show off the interiors of your space, your members and the events you host. Instagram is one of the highly advanced platforms, especially to bring in followers, traffic, and business. Take smart advantage of hashtags. Spend a little for creating sponsored Instagram posts that will show up on feeds.

Whether it is member engagement, announcements, or any kind of marketing, social media platforms are a great way to extend your reach. A coworking space can make the most out of social media to reach out to its target community.

#4 Partner with Local Businesses

One more marketing strategy for a coworking business can be to partner with local businesses. Buy coffee from local coffee shops to provide their brand of coffee to your members in the coworking space. Partner with movie theatres and host special screenings of the movies that are related to members’ niches. Create gift cards for local restaurants, pay a restaurant to cater an event.

You can also partner with local transportation systems and offer discounts to members. Make advertisements for your coworking in local gathering places. Offer to host local events or have a booth at local events. Create a speed networking event.

Maya Delano, senior community manager at Next Space in Santa Cruz, said that “Speed Networking Night was one of our best events yet. It was extremely effective as NextSpace Santa Cruz was able to get many new faces in the door and it was a wonderful networking opportunity for our members to connect and promote their business.”

Hosting events is proven to be a successful marketing strategy for coworking spaces.

#5 Support your Members in their Success

Build a personal connection with your members by knowing the budding entrepreneurs, freelancers, interns working at your coworking space. Get to know about their goals, details about their personalities, their goals, their services etcetera. Find out how you can help them to achieve their goals and help them in their success.

Let the members advertise about their businesses within your space and in the building. They can create posters to showcase their work or activities. Organize workshops, panels, conferences in various niches in which your members might be interested, and can help in the improvement of their businesses and their growth. You can also open up these workshops for non-members and prospect members to help your space get more traffic and attention from the audience.

#6 SEO of the Coworking Space

To get your fantastic website up and running is one thing, but to make the same website rank higher on SERP is a whole different scenario. It requires a well-optimized search engine optimization strategy to make a grand presence on the Search Engine Result Pages. You need to ensure that you take precise steps while optimizing the website for search engines.

We can provide a few suggestions that you might need to take care of while building the SEO strategy.

1. Ensure SSL Certificate on your coworking space website
2. Implementation of correct Title Tags, Metadata, URL and Target keywords on your site
3. Upload your website properties to Google Search Console
4. Create your .xml sitemap
5. Integrate Google Analytics to your website
6. Use compressed images and content and ensure they are properly cached on your website
7. Make sure your website page speed is optimised for quick page loading

#7 Ensure Reputation Management is Done Right

It’s necessary to have a social proof and well-managed reputation for your coworking space. You must ask for feedback from your members and ensure that their negative feedback is improvised. Along with that, if the feedback is positive, you can ask them to rate your space on Google, social media, and third-party directories such as Yelp.

A smartly built reputation management is a powerful process to build trust and convert your potential leads into closed deals. Remember, your existing members are your biggest advocates, make sure you take care of them well. These ratings also help rank your store on the local results. Reputation Management is not only a concept that is required to create a showcase online, but it also should be effective and rightly done offline. Your members should feel welcome when they visit your coworking space.

A great way to have a great reputation is to engage with your community. Not only focus on prospects or existing members, sometimes discuss with the ones who aren’t looking for a coworking space. Try and engage in conversations that aren’t focused on bringing the lead to the organization. Having healthy communication with communities often will help you build trust, value and a strong reputation.

#8 Outreach

Research about your target audience and reach out to the ones looking for working spaces. Reach out to the local news outlets and look for opportunities to get featured. Get your marketing specialists to create a beautifully drafted pitch template. Reach out to journalists that can help you create visibility around their audience by featuring your coworking space in their articles.

Also remember that you reach out to the journalists of your niche, not the ones that are irrelevant to your business. Journalists won’t like it if they are being spammed with emails that aren’t relevant to their niche.

Wrapping Up...

Hope these 8 tips prove to be successful to help you achieve the goal of your coworking space. Putting marketing aside, always remember, you offer a very valuable service so it’s given that you’ll have footfall. But it is even more beneficial and effective to stay ahead of the competition. Differentiate your space from the others in the market, it will take your business to great heights.

Author Bio

Parth Shah, Co-Founder/ COO, DevX accelerator

With 10 years of experience in operations and training, Parth is a go-to person for his team and even a multitude of growing start-ups. His knack lies at spotting and supporting start-ups, helping them streamline their processes and even take their ventures to the next level. After successfully establishing two start-ups and exploring the start-up landscape up-close Parth has learnt the nitty-gritty of the industry, which he now shares with fellow entrepreneurs.

As Wife Turns 5, the Creative Agency Launches the ‘agency Equals Client’ Campaign That Strives to Bring a Creative Disruption in the Industry

With An Open Letter To The Industry At Large, Both To Agencies And Clients, Wife With Agency Equals Client Intends To Ignite A Conversation Or Many, To Consider And Reshape The Age-old Agency V/s Client Dynamic Into An Agency Equals Client Scenario

Mumbai, 10th August 2021: Wife, the full-service creative agency that collaborates and works with companies and brands such as RPG, Facebook and Instagram, Quora India, Bytedance, L&T, Network18, Times Group and more is hitting the 5-year milestone this month. Unlike other companies who usually reminisce past accolades and achievements at such a milestone, Wife on the other hand is all set to begin a campaign that is all about the agency and client dynamic.

In an open letter Neha Mewawalla, Co-Founder at Wife, sheds light on how both parties, whether the client or the agency, are essentially working towards a unified goal of building and elevating the brand above all else. This mutual understanding is what ultimately facilitates those pivotal discussions that dictate the brand’s journey going forward. She also highlights that this mutual respect and camaraderie are some of the key reasons Wife, as an agency, has been able to grow and reach their latest milestone.

However, this campaign is meant to delve deeper into the infamous client and agency power dynamic. The subject matter stresses on how there often exists a situation between agencies and clients where one side may leverage more power over the other. This, however, goes both ways and is not exclusive to what might sound like just clients calling all the shots. Agencies can and do have the upper hand in many situations. Be it creative differences, work culture, or even something as simple as a clear divide between client and agency efforts, in the end, one side leaves the exercise with a bad taste in the mouth if not both. Having said that, what may come across as questionable and maybe even a set of eyebrow-raising practices to the common observer, is what has crept into the industry culture as the ‘new normal.'

Drawing parallels with the collective gender equality movement, Wife intends to beat this system too with absolute yet uncomfortable honesty. This is exactly where the agency will be taking the charge to rally with their Agency equals Client campaign just before the 15th of August, which also happens to be the same date as their 5th anniversary. The agency will go live with a microsite on 15th August that will give a platform for agencies and clients to put forward their opinions and discuss their experiences from the past thereby understanding the dynamics and also suggesting best practices on both sides.

Expanding on the initiative, Neha Mewawalla, Co-Founder at Wife, said “For us, Agency Equals Client is a simple statement that encapsulates layers and layers of complex, problematic, arduous and intricate ordeals that this celebrated (yet notorious) romance has endured. The consequences of it are even more notoriously infamous and much has been spoken about. But a solution hasn't been spoken about at all or much, even if, and Agency Equals Client is that simple solution that we hope encapsulates layers and layers of redressal to enable this Power Couple to make it work for the long haul, to build and grow brands as they grow old together and live happily ever after.”

Adding to that, Ankur Chaturvedi, Co-Founder at Wife, asserted “With this campaign, we look forward to changing the already present detriments that hamper effective collaboration. Streamlining the flow of thought and leveraging an equal voice only strengthens the exercises and campaigns a brand executes as part of its communication strategy. All of which ultimately will create an even better professional work environment for everyone in the industry."

YouTube Marketing - 4 Tips for Successful Distribution

Moving image content, i.e. videos, is becoming more and more important and it is hard to imagine the daily activities of Internet users without them. Just a quick look at the news streets of various social networks such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter is enough to be confronted with a veritable flood of videos. With this mass of content and videos, it is not easy for the user to keep an overview or to stand out as a company.

One possibility as a company to draw the attention of users to yourself or your video is, among other things, the use of YouTube marketing. We have four YouTube marketing tips that will help you spread the video successfully.

Why do companies have a YouTube channel? What are the benefits of corporate videos? How to get more views and subscribers on YouTube?

Companies that operate a YouTube channel have different reasons for this:

Reach and train customers

With the help of YouTube videos, existing customers can be reached to inform them about product features or to recruit new products. Information on correct use can also be optimally transmitted in this way.

Image building and expertise

Many companies publish how-to videos for everyday problems. This can be general or specific to the niche of the company. In this way, companies try to be seen as experts on the market and to steer their image in this direction. Youtube marketing plays a particularly important role for this reason, as the right target group should be reached.

Building brand awareness and acquiring new customers

In general, YouTube videos can also be used to gain awareness in the target group. Either image or product videos can be created and distributed for this. Videos on the company's products in particular can attract new customers. If YouTube marketing is carried out for this reason, content distribution, i.e. the dissemination of video content, plays a particularly important role. The potential new customers are not yet connected to the company's social media channels.

Three tips for successful YouTube marketing

Entertainment:

The content of the video should not be a boring list of empty marketing phrases, but rather offer the audience added value such as entertainment.

authenticity

The content of the video should definitely fit the company or address the target group in a suitable way.

Title, description and tags

Not only the content is of great importance in YouTube marketing, attention should also be paid to the surrounding area. Videos should arouse interest with a good headline, provide further information in the description and be tagged on a topic-specific basis.

ClanConnect.ai bags influencer marketing mandate worth 3 crores

• Targeting to manage influencer marketing campaign worth INR 500 crore by March 2022
• The pre-launch acquisition of key clients is a testament to the AI-driven platform's first-of-its-kind offerings in the influencer marketing space 
• Other key clients on-boarded by the platform include a leading personal hygiene brand, a ledger management start-up, and a direct-to-consumer digital-first cosmetic start-up 
• ClanConnect.ai already has a vast pool of 1 lakh data points across leading influencers 

ClanConnect.ai Cofounders (L to R) Sagar Pushp, Kunal Kishore, Anshai Lal

ClanConnect.ai, India's first and only AI-driven influencer marketing platform, has announced the addition of numerous industry doyens to its client portfolio. The company has bagged influencer marketing campaigns from leading brands such as Toppr, Coinswitch, Oriflame, XClub by Infinix, Cartoon Network, Shopmatic, among others. The platform will be managing the ongoing influencer marketing for these top brands. At this juncture, it is noteworthy that these clients have joined hands with ClanConnect.ai well before its official launch to the public, indicating its high potential to disrupt the burgeoning and hitherto unorganized influencer management space in India. 

The impressive feat for ClanConnect.ai comes on the back of its revolutionary AI-led system which matches brands to the right influencers enabling them to increase impact and maximize ROI with each campaign within a budget-friendly price bracket. The platform's technology is hinged upon publicly available data points for individual influencers, which allow it to make instantaneous, data-driven decisions for creating the most influential campaigns. Prior to its public launch, ClanConnect.ai already has a database of 1 lakh influencer data points and is set to empower brands to make data and result-oriented decisions while solidifying its stance as a game-changer in the industry.

Speaking on the development, Kunal Kishore, Co-Founder & COO – ClanConnect.ai, said, "We are delighted to collaborate with front-running brands that are disrupting their respective sectors with top-notch products and services. It is heartening to see such immense traction from across industries even before our public launch. We are looking forward to helping these brands unlock the vast potential of influencer marketing by leveraging our unique technology. We will continue to fine-tune and build on our value-proposition to continue providing the best-in-class services to our existing and future clients."

The Indian influencer marketing space is growing at a breakneck pace. The high-potential sector is valued at $10 billion and is poised to grow by 250% to reach $25 billion in less than 5 years. However, until now, this growth has not been streamlined, leading the industry to become a chaotic and unorganized one. The vision and mission of ClanConnect.ai, then, is to set-up domain-defining processes that are efficient and lucrative for all its stakeholders including brands, marketers, and influencers.

The platform brings discovery, management, and performance analytics all in one system, and carries out targeted searches and customizable analytics, to help identify and partner with more relevant influencers. On the back of its proprietary technology, ClanConnect.ai has recently has raised INR 5 crore in a seed round led by Venture Catalysts with participation from marquee investors.

About ClanConnect.ai

India's first and only AI-driven influencer marketing platform, ClanConnect.ai was launched with a vision to transform the digital marketing landscape by placing power in the hands of the brands and the hands of the influencer. Founded by industry stalwarts Kunal Kishore Sinha, Sagar Pushp, and Anshai Lal, ClanConnect.ai ensures that vast amounts of data are crunched real-time, providing end-users with the best possible insights to make completely informed decisions and maximize ROI on their influencer marketing campaigns.

The platform allows brands to experience a world of content creators that impact a large global audience, connect with the most powerful online influencers for their brand, and reinforce a strong online presence. By bringing discovery, management, and performance analytics to one platform, ClanConnect.ai helps brands identify and partner with more relevant influencers. Simply put, it empowers brands and influencers to build their network, build their clan.

Design Thinking can change the approach towards class room teaching

Discussing the role of a teacher in the class room with fast changing times, Dr. Jitendra K. Das, Director at FORE School of Management, New Delhi said that not just the entire pedagogy, the content or traditional exam systems need to transform, the teaching methodology need to evolve and for that to happen it is imperative the thought process of teachers need to change. 

Referring to the practice of traditional teaching process like using Power Point presentations Dr. Das said, “Students in today’s class room can always access the content from the net instantly through a Google Glass or any smart devices. So teachers must develop innovative methodologies where the role of the teacher is more of a facilitator and an enabler. Design Thinking can be effectively put to use as an approach towards class room teaching, collaboration. Teachers can create and adopt a structured framework based on design thinking for identifying challenges, gathering information, generating ideas and use it for problem solving.”



The World Marketing Summit India & Kotler Excellence Awards 2020 held on February 29, 2020 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. World Marketing Summit (WMS) was founded in 2010 by Prof. Philip Kotler, considered world’s leading Marketing Guru and father of modern marketing. WMS is a global alliance; a collaboration that unites the best minds from corporate world working in concert with public sector and community leaders to transform and translate marketing ideas and solutions for tackling real and focused socio-economic issues, and creating sustainable solutions through marketing-centric initiatives that are driven by social responsibility acting as their fulcrum to the citation of the award.

Dr. Jitendra Das, Director, FORE School of Management, was addressing  the session on "New Decade Marketing & Globalizing your Business" along with co- panelists of national & international fame: Laura Ries - President Ries & Ries (US); Marc Oliver Opresnik, Professor, Marketing, Lübeck University of Applied Sciences, Germany & Chief Research Officer, Kotler Impact Inc.; Indrajit Ghosh - Chairman, MSME-CII, Dr. Fahim Kibria - CMO, Kotler Impact Inc. and Sadia Kibria; Group CEO of Kotler Impact Inc. among others. Dr. Jitendra Das was among the ones honored at World Marketing Summit India & Kotler Excellence Awards 2020.

Women Earn More in Marketing and Web Design; Make up 39% of Global Freelance Workforce

Freelancers across different geographies are empowered to acquire work, set their own wages, and bill their clients directly. Women’s participation in the freelance industry has been slowly gaining momentum over the last few years.

Female freelancers earn on average 84% that of men, across all disciplines. The latest Freelancer Income report also stated that women earn more than men in fields like marketing and web design.

Interestingly, Payoneer's Freelancer Income Report also highligths the fact that 1 in 5 Indian women are freelancers. Cross-border payments have resulted in the removal of business complexities - the cost and burden that earlier made global expansion unattainable for most businesses.

In fact, Government schemes like Startup India, Skill India and Digital India have encouraged individuals to start their own businesses and work as freelancers. This has further offered local entrepreneurs in the world to access global marketplaces.

As per latest World Bank data, women make up 39% of the global freelance workforce, offering a huge untapped opportunity for more women to join the freelance revolution. Those who work exclusively as freelancers earn a higher hourly rate and are more satisfied with their lifestyle compared to those who split their time working for a company.

Interestingly, women also lead the short list of business-savvy winners of Payoneer’s Entrepreneurship Awards, who are specifically using their work to make a meaningful impact on the world, from connecting remote developers to global job opportunities, to creating environmentally-conscious childcare products

Top-7 Tricks To Get You Started with Viral Marketing

Viral Marketing as the name suggests is spreading information on a mass scale. It describes any strategy that seeks to spread information about a product or service from person to person by word of mouth or sharing through the internet.

The advent of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat have contributed to the efficacy of viral marketing massively.

These platforms allow one-to-one interactions and every person loves personal attention. If your brand is able to deliver that, you’re in the running to go viral.

According to various reports around 75% of the marketers know this personalization tactic but hardly 20% of them use it. That’s majorly because people tend to assume that going viral is a matter of luck and not of strategy.

While accessing all communicational platforms we get to understand the users spend most of their time emailing, sharing content, viewing news and forwarding it to their friends, families and other acquaintances.

Now, the catch here is that they don’t just share any content.

People share content which seems relevant, useful and credible. And that is exactly what you have to create.

Interestingly, according to Bryan Heathman, president of I Promotion for 24/7 Media, an online direct marketing company, 80 percent of online firms use viral marketing. Viral Marketing acts as a double-edged sword due to its ease in spreading and sharing. It can be a PR nightmare if it goes wrong.

Some Important Facts about Viral Marketing

• Viral content is a product of relentless efforts. Most content goes viral because of the hard work that the company puts into it. If you put enough efforts into your material and truly know your audience, there is no reason you can’t achieve your desired outcomes.
• Instagram has the highest conversion rate from browser to consumer. We all know Instagram is a popular photosharing platform. An image is really worth a thousand words. Instagram makes this quote pretty much self-explanatory. So, marketing on instagram is a quick way to go viral.
• Weekend posts foster 25% higher engagement on Facebook. This sounds obvious due to more time spent on the platform on weekends than usual weekdays.
• You only have to be there initially. Once your content is out in the hands of your close circle, and they like it enough to share it, your part is done. They share it with their social circles and then their progressive actions generate enough momentum to continue the sharing process, indefinitely.
• You can optimize a “viral post”. To make your content go viral, be absolutely original, offer value to your audience, make your piece visually appealing, and add something surprising (maybe an offer).
• Instagram is a clear winner in viral marketing. With 49% of photos and 60% of videos reaching 250+ interactions, it outperforms all other social networks. So, invest your time and energy on this platform to outperform your competition.
• Facebook posts including hash-tags have 60% more interaction than other posts. Use them strategically to link your posts to trending and relevant discussions and topics.
• Going viral earns you a ton of links. The visibility of your brand over the internet is a potentially big benefit in terms of the number of links you get for your website. Viral Marketing is a cool way to Search Engine Optimization.
• Connecting on LinkedIn helps you reach the highest level of trust. According to a recent study, LinkedIn users actively entreat it as a valuable source of industry news and professional advice.

All the data and observations above suggest that viral marketing is an awesome promotions technique. But it is only effective if your marketing efforts really make something share worthy. In other words, whether your content is going to get viral.

That’s a nightmare for a modern day marketer. He learns marketing, gets all the things right, but doesn’t succeed. So, here I enlist top tricks or tips to let you hit the ground running.

Top 7 Tips to Win at Viral Marketing

• Create an Emotional Appeal
  
  Viral marketing is all about being able to trigger the emotions of your audience. If your viral strategy fails to do so then you will definitely have to compromise on your desired outcomes.
  
  Following this, the next question is how to create a strong emotion? You can set off love or hate in your audience through your content, create something that will make people jovial or insanely angry, or be an idiot or a genius.
  
  
• Don’t Focus on Traditional Marketing
  
  Traditional marketing involves endorsing your product or service, giving insights of it, and how it is beneficial for the audience. In reality, people actually do not care about you or your product unless you have an interesting story to share along with it. Everyone remembers the Bravia TV advertisement even when the product was not even seen throughout the advertisement because of the story that it delivered.
  
  
• Target the Right Audience and Channels
  
  Nothing goes viral on its own; you need to deliver the right message to the right people. Try to determine your target audience, if it is for a particular age group or for a particular gender or religion.
  
  Next, determine which marketing channels are the best where you can publish your posts so that it reaches the right audience. You need to determine these before you let your content go live.
  
  
• Reward Your Customers With Your Valuable Product
  
  There is probably no one who doesn’t like something valuable for free. “Free” is the strongest word in a marketer’s vocabulary. To attract the attention of your audience, offer the most valuable product or service for free.
  
  The most viral marketing programs potentially benefitted by using this strategy. By implementing this strategy, you may not profit today or tomorrow but if you can generate people’s interest on you then you will profit soon.
  
  
• Create More Videos
  
  A video does what text doesn’t. It creates an immediate and real impact on the target audience. Adding a video on YouTube or Daily Motion allows your audience to share it with their friends and eventually, the video becomes popular and can end up spreading like wild fire all over the internet, increasing brand awareness enormously.
  
  Moreover, if your video is really interesting then people might embed your video on their websites or blogs. This way, people will see your video from different websites as well, thus making it even more popular.
  
  In essence, video marketing is the best tactic to add virality from your campaigns.
  
  
• Enable Sharing, Embedding and Downloading
  
  Just as the viruses only spread when they’re easy to transmit similarly you need to allow people to share your content easily, embed it on their own sites and download it to spread it across the internet.
  Moreover, simplify your message so that the audience can understand it easily and this will encourage them to share it with others.
  
  
• Do Something Extraordinary
  
  People always want to see something new. Ordinary and general content has zero probability to get viral. To make your marketing campaigns noticeable do something unexpected.
  
  Simply trying to promote your product or service is not something great – others are doing that too. The key is to be original. Deliver what you deeply feel about, what you think your audience will connect to.

Conclusion

Many people think that viral marketing requires a huge budget and time or that it is a product of luck. But the above-mentioned strategies can definitely help you drive more traffic and sales. If you are not using online viral marketing techniques yet, you are putting your own business at a disadvantage by missing out on millions of visitors to your website or blog.

An important thing that is of concern is that although viral marketing is an extremely effective tool and it is something to include in your list of online marketing strategies, the basic marketing rules still apply.